Albuquerque Biological Park Calendar of Events
April 2009 |
Featured Activities
- Brown Bag Lecture at the Zoo - CANCELLED
- Put the "Garden" in Your Garden Railroad - April 4
- Free Fishing Clinic - April 11
- Easter Enrichment Activities - April 12
- Touchpool Volunteer Training - April 14
- Horticulture Volunteer Training - April 15
- Aquarium Overnight - April 17/18
- Children's Seed Festival - April 18
- Earth Day - Party for the Planet - April 25
January February March May June July August September October November December
Brown Bag Lecture at the Zoo - CANCELLED
Thursday & Saturday, April 2 & 4, 12:45-1:30 pm
The April Brown Bag Lecture is cancelled. Please check our calendar for upcoming brown bag dates and topics.
This series of informal, lunchtime lectures presents the science of conservation. Topics include plant and animal themes relevant to the BioPark, and presenters may be BioPark staff or field experts.
Brown Bag lectures take place twice a month (on a Thursday and a Saturday), alternating between the Aquarium/Garden and the Zoo locations. Lectures at the Zoo are included with regular admission. There is no fee to attend the lectures at the Aquarium/Garden. Call (505) 848-7180 for more information.
Put the "Garden" in Your Garden Railroad
Saturday, April 4, 2:00pm
Join Bonsai expert Anna Turner to learn about ways to incorporate plants into garden railroad landscapes. She has incorporated a variety of plants into the Botanic Garden's Model Railroad and will share her strategies and experience with the audience.
Turner will share tips on…
(1) The plants to use.
(2) How to care for them.
(3) Incorporate the plants into scale with fences and other details.
The workshop will be held in the Botanic Garden Education Building. There is no charge for the talk, but admission is required for participants who wish to visit the Garden Model Railroad. For more information, please call (505) 848-7112.
Free Fishing Clinic at Tingley Beach
Saturday, April 11, 10:00am-12:00pm
Visit the event tent at Tingley Beach to learn more about fly-fishing and fly-tying, fishing etiquette, catch & release practices and how to “catch the big one.” Tingley Beach Fishing Guides will be on-hand to teach and share fishing tips. Equipment and supplies are available for use during the clinic free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
Participants are welcome to bring their own gear as well. In addition, Tingley Outfitters provides basic equipment for purchase inside the Tingley Train Station.
Download a flyer about the 2009 Free Fishing Clinics 
In addition to fly- and spin-rod casting, please join us in the Train Station for a free fly tying class. April's fly is a size 20 Zebra Midge.
Easter Enrichment Activities
Sunday, April 12, 9:00am-5:00pm
Bring the family to watch the elephants, primates and carnivores (including cats) enjoy some extra-special enrichment activities. Enrichment items ill include papier-mâché items, hand-made toys and edible goodies like cereal baskets, gelatin molds, hard boiled eggs and lots of different fruits--all specially prepared by zookeepers. The animals absolutely eat it up! And zookeepers understand the value of their extra effort in preparing the treats.
"Enrichment projects are designed to offer activities, edibles and new and unusual items that zoo animals don't encounter on a daily basis. Enrichment helps break the routing, stimulates natural behaviors and encourages mental activity," said Mammal Curator Lynn Tupa.
Enrichment activities are included with regular admission.
Touchpool Volunteer Training
Tuesday, April 14, 9:30am-3:30pm
Touchpool volunteers assist with the hands-on invertebrate Touchpool at the aquarium and introduce visitors to horseshoe crabs, horse conchs, sea urchins and other fascinating marine animals. For more information, please call (505) 764-6245.
Horticulture Volunteer Orientation
Wednesday, April 15, 9:30am-12:00pm
Horticulture Volunteers assist the BioPark horticulture staff with routine garden maintenance and special plant projects. Open to volunteers ages 16 and up. For more information, please call (505) 764-6245.
Aquarium Overnight
Friday-Saturday, April 17-18, 7:00pm-8:00am
Sleep next to the sharks at this family-friendly event. Participants will learn interesting facts about ocean species and their nighttime behavior during this special Aquarium sleepover. Includes games and crafts, Touchpool visit and ocean film fest in the theater. Children under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Cost: $25/person. Group size is limited. Pre-registration is required and and participation is reserved only after payment is received. Call (505) 848-7180 for more information and to register.
Children's Seed Festival
Saturday, April 18, 10:00am-3:00pm
Celebrate the connections between seeds, plants and humans with some "seed-happy" people during the Children's Seed Festival at the Rio Grande Botanic Garden. The event is co-sponsored by the ABQ BioPark and the Rotary Club of Albuquerque 
.
Visitors can learn through hands-on discovery stations about the ways seeds travel, the amazing variety of seed shapes and sizes and the incredible adaptations that allow seeds to grow in some of the harshest environments in the world. Discover how plants are born and take a trip through the Children's Fantasy Garden to explore a seed's life story. Get your hands dirty in the Seed Lab inside the giant pumpkin. Create works of botanical art with seeds and listen to storytellers spin tales of seeds and other garden wonders.
This fun, educational event is included with regular admission. For more information, call Botanic Garden Education at 848-7180.
Earth Day - Party for the Planet!
Saturday, April 25, 10:00am-2:00pm
The BioPark is celebrating Earth Day and partnering with more than 100 AZA Zoos and Aquariums nationwide on Party for the Planet events!
Visit the BioPark’s Zoo, Aquarium, Botanic Garden or Tingley Beach to learn more about our planet and what you can do to protect the animals and plants that inhabit the Earth. Discovery stations and hands-on activities at each facility will introduce you to the wonders of nature.
Classes, Workshops and Demonstrations
10:00am |
"Ape Genius” KNME Science Café in the Zoo’s Colores Education Building View a segment from NOVA about Ape Genius and discuss animal intelligence with a local scientist. RSVP is required for this special lecture. Please call (505) 277-2396. |
10:30am |
Chalk Art Competition in the Aquarium/Garden plaza Watch artists at work as they illustrate a quintessential New Mexico landscape. Judging takes place at 11:30am. |
11:00am |
Rainwater Harvesting Class in the Aquarium/Garden Education Building Learn the benefits of harvesting and using rainwater at home in this hour-long seminar. |
11:00am |
Sheep Shearing Demonstration at the Botanic Garden’s Heritage Farm Watch a sheep shearer give the Navajo-Churro sheep a haircut--just in time for summer! |
12:00pm |
Colcha Demonstration at the Botanic Garden’s Heritage Farmhouse Noted artist and author, Nancy Benson will discuss the rare art form of colcha embroidery. |
| 1:00pm | Edible Gardens Workshop at the Botanic Garden Take a walking tour and learn about edible gardening in Albuquerque, including delicious plants to try and successful growing methods. |
Earth Day activities (including classes, workshops and demonstrations) are free with admission. For more information, please call (505) 764-6245.
Take Action for the Earth!The New Mexico BioPark Society will collect and recycle your old cell phone and phone accessories. Simply bring them to the Zoo or Aquarium/Garden administration office on Earth Day! For other ideas, visit the City of Albuquerque's Sustainability |